Introduction

Foreword

Sun Yat-sen University, founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in 1924, has now developed into an open, comprehensive, and innovative university. With five campuses in the three cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Shenzhen and ten affiliated hospitals, the university focuses on the fundamental task of producing virtuous and talented graduates. The university’s central goal of cultivating talent is manifested in its nurturing of students who have both ability and moral integrity, students who can cultivate charisma and are eager to serve their country. The university’s spirit of striving for excellence has become increasingly strong.

In recent years, the university, with its guiding philosophy oriented towards academic frontiers, major strategic national needs, and national and regional economic and social development, has actively built large platforms and teams, and undertaken major projects. Its scientific research and innovation capabilities have grown rapidly. Nineteen disciplines of the university have entered the ESI top 1%. The National Supercomputing Center in Guangzhou, the Tianqin Project, the Marine Research Vessel, the Institute for South China Sea Studies, and the Precision Medicine Science Center among others have all received strong support from governments at all levels.

In 2017, Sun Yat-sen University was selected for China’s “Double First-Class” Initiative, embarking on a new journey to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics.

Background

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, the construction of a number of major national infrastructures has spawned many super projects, allowing the world to witness the rapid development of Chinese construction. Guangdong, which has had the largest economic aggregate in China for many years, is the vanguard of this development, and an experimental area of reform and opening up. It plays an important role in the national strategies such as the "Belt and Road" Initiative, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area Initiative, and ocean development.   

The disciplines of civil and hydraulic engineering deal with various fields related to national economic and social development, and people's productivity and life. Integrating with related disciplines such as Transportation, Ocean, Environment, Materials, Detection, and Information, the traditional and ancient disciplines of civil and hydraulic engineering are full of vitality.

In order to meet the urgent needs of the state and society for advanced science, technology, and professionals, and to push forward the integrated development of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences, and engineering, Sun Yat-sen University set up the School of Civil Engineering at the end of 2016 to re-establish the discipline of civil engineering, and integrated the discipline of hydraulic engineering into the school’s construction. The School of Civil Engineering invited Professor Wang Fuming, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as the first dean, opening a new chapter in civil engineering at SYSU.

The School of Civil Engineering is located on the Zhuhai Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, which is set at the foot of the hills and beside the sea, adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao. Since the first batch of students were enrolled in 2000, Zhuhai campus has been an important part of Sun Yat-sen University’s construction of “five campuses in three cities,” and it has grown to become home to 18 organic schools.

Striving to build up Zhuhai campus into a distinctive and world-class coastal university, the institution is focused on setting up specialist departments related to Deep Sea, Deep Earth, Deep Space, and others related to and serving national strategic arrangements such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Marine Power Strategy, and the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area Initiative.

The university is constructing an affiliated kindergarten, primary and secondary schools and talent apartments in the campus and affiliated hospitals nearby, as well as the Civil Engineering Building and scientific experimental sites covering 59,000 square meters, to carry out scientific research and talent cultivation.

The School of Civil Engineering has been founded under most favorable circumstances. The school is eager to take advantage of the unprecedented development opportunities that lie before them and strive ahead!

School Status

SCE has about 60 faculty members, including 12 professors and 22 associate professors. The full-time teachers include one academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one chief scientist of the National Basic Research Program of China, one recipient of The National Outstanding Youth Science Foundation, one national cultivated talent of 100 Top Talents Program of Guangdong Province, and three recipients of the Youth Recruitment Program of Global Experts, and two candidates of the Special Support Plan for Talents in Guangdong Province. Since the establishment of SCE, nearly 20 professors and associate professors of the “Hundred Talents Program” of Sun Yat-sen University have been introduced.

Wang Fuming, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering (SCE), is also the director of the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Civil Engineering, director of the Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Underground Space Development, specialist of the seventh discipline evaluation of the State Council Academic Degree Committee (hydraulic engineering discipline), and member of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC.

Dean Wang has long been engaged in the theoretical and technical research into the safety and maintenance of foundations and has achieved innovative results in the prevention and treatment of water leakage and hidden dangers in infrastructure. He has proposed a new method for constructing a flexible impervious body for earth dams, established a non-aqueous reaction polymer diffusion theory, and invented a complete set of techniques and equipment for dam and underground engineering anti-seepage and plugging high polymer grouting. He has developed the inversion theory of layer-structured dielectric properties and mechanical properties, proposed high polymer fine grouting method based on non-destructive testing, and developed quick non-excavation repair technology for expressway, high-speed ballastless track and underground tunnels. The research results have been widely used in foundation engineering anti-seepage repair and emergency rescue and has solved many major engineering problems.

Academician Wang initiated and led the establishment of the first "Engineering Hospital" in China. Dean Wang also won the second-class prize of the State Technology Invention Awards, and the second-class and third-class prizes of the National S&T Progress Awards, respectively, as well as the ISTT No-Dig Awards and Henan Province Science and Technology Outstanding Contribution Award.

SCE has several research institutes including the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Civil Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Infrastructure Safety, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Underground Space Development, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Water Safety Control of South China Region, and Water Security in Southern China of Guangdong High Education Institute. In 2017, with Sun Yat-sen University taking the lead and with Dean Wang as director, the “underground and underwater engineering test facility” project, was opened by the Ministry of Education for National Major Programs for Science and Technology Infrastructure Construction. SYSU will support the project and apply for the National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure Project during the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan period.

SCE cooperates with other top universities in the world, and has established research platforms and a practical teaching base with leading institutes of the industry, including the China Railway Tunnel Group, CRCC Harbour & Channel Engineering Bureau, CCCC-FHDI Engineering, Guangzhou Metro Group, Hydrological Bureau of Guangdong Province, China Water Resources Pearl River Planning, Surveying and Designing Company, China Three Gorges Corporation, and Zhuhai Water Environment Holding Group, building solid foundations for the rapid development of SCE.

Development Orientation

Based on thorough research and two specialist demonstrations, the SCE has established the path and goals for its construction:

In accordance with the nation’s major strategic needs such as sustainable development in infrastructure, new urbanization, development of the South China Sea, construction of ecological civilization and the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, SCE will combine civil engineering with other related disciplines such as water conservancy, transportation and maritime disciplines. The SCE will feature “the integration of water and soil,” take water-soil/rock-structure coupling as a key subject, focusing on orientation of six disciplines: infrastructure operation and maintenance, underground Space Engineering, marine civil engineering, urban water, water resources and ecology, river and sea power process. SCE will put every effort into developing a world-class “big civil engineering” discipline with Chinese characteristics, nurturing high-level specialists who have a solid base of knowledge, are skillful in many fields and are qualified for many jobs. They will have both ability and moral integrity, be able to cultivate charisma and be eager to serve their country

Research Areas

Infrastructure operation and maintenance

The safe operation of major infrastructure is an important guarantee for national economy, social development, and national defense security. The research team of Infrastructure Operation and Maintenance mainly focuses on the behaviour of major infrastructure, including transportation, energy, municipal service, water supply, and marine structures, etc. Research activities involve studies on basic theories and key technologies, such as water-soil/rock-structure interaction; intelligent monitoring and health assessment; long-termperformance evaluation and safety assessment; disaster evolution mechanism; and disaster prevention, control, and early warning. Based on big data analytics, strategies and methods for intelligent maintenance of major infrastructure are being proposed to achieve the goal of continuing safe operations.

Geotechnical and Underground Engineering

The development and utilization of underground space is an inevitable choice to solve urban diseases such as limited land area and flooding issues in congested cities. Geotechnical design that is suited for local geological and hydrological conditions needs to be further understood to improve the performance of infrastructure assets to fit the demands from the initiative of new urbanizations in China, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Initiative, the "Belt and Road" Initiative, and the strategy of building a maritime power. The research team of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering promotes studies on key engineering issues, such as water-soil/rock-foundation-structure interaction, durability of geotechnical structures, groundwater insulation and vibration isolation of underground construction, and theory of structural robustness; studies on core technical problems, such as advance prediction an detection of georechncial issues, green construction, renovation, rehabilitation and emergency rescue, toughness of structural materials, and flexible waterproofing, providing theoretical and technical support for the sustainable development of underground space to achieve the goal of green, safety, and durability.

Marine Civil Engineering

In line with the major strategies of building a maritime power; promoting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Initiative; and meeting the needs of regional economic, social development, and talent training, the research team of Marine Civil Engineering is characterized by water-soil/rock-structure interaction, development of marine civil engineering materials, marine engineering mechanics, marine structural engineering, marine geotechnical engineering, estuarine coastal and island reef engineering, disaster prevention and mitigation of marine engineering, reliability and risk assessment of marine engineering, and advanced experimental technology of ocean engineering. The school is recently focused on marine projects such as the construction and maintenance of offshore wind power; the construction and protection of coastal, offshore, and island reef projects; and the underground space development of coastal cities and island reefs.

Urban water

Urban water security is the foundation for the sustainable development of human society. Against the background of global climate change and rapid urbanization, China has vigorously promoted the construction of “sponge city” and “smart water,” providing a good development opportunity for urban water research. The discipline of “Urban Water” mainly studies basic theories and key technologies such as urban hydrological patterns, urban flood control and disaster reduction, low impact development (LID), urban water resources utilization and protection, urban water planning and management, urban water environmental protection and restoration, big data and water affairs of a smart city, comprehensive urban water supply and drainage management, and water pollution control engineering. Focusing on the international frontiers and hotspots, centered on the country's major needs, it highlights the regional characteristics of the tropical and subtropical megacities, and reflects the multidisciplinary integration of urban flood prevention and mitigation and water security research.

Water resources and ecology

Water is one of the three strategic resources of China, and water security has become an important guarantee for economic and social development. Targeting the issue of water resources security in a changing environment, the subject of “Water Resources and Water Ecology” focuses on research on the water vapor cycle, hydrological processes, water and material migration in rivers and lakes, water resources vulnerability assessment, water ecological environment evolution and health assessment, multi-objective coordinated allocation of water resources, intelligent scheduling of water resources and water ecological environment, water systems connectivity engineering, water resources security engineering, environmental protection on water ecology and restoration engineering.  Such research propose optimization and control strategies on water resources, water ecology, and water environment, which are significantly related to lives and property

The river and sea power process

Sun Yat-Sen University, located in the Pearl River Delta region, borders the South China Sea, providing a natural geographical advantage for river and sea power research. The implementation of the BRI, the construction of maritime power and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has provided an extremely rare development opportunity for river and sea power research. The disciplines of civil engineering and water resources, together with marine science, atmospheric science, earth science, ocean engineering and technology, support the development of the marine discipline cluster. The objective of the “River and Sea Power Process” is mainly to develop sea-land interaction and its hydrodynamics; sediment movement mechanics; riverbed and estuary evolution mechanism; river-river network-river mouth-offshore waters; sand, salt and water environment ecological simulation prediction; water flow in gates and pump clusters in complex river network areas; sediment; controlling water quality; ocean and island hydrological environment and its three-dimensional monitoring; ocean and island hydraulic structure engineering; river port coastal engineering; and management projects on rivers, lakes, and basin

.